Whipping top



Jan. 18, 1938. ZELEZNOFF' 2,105,994

WHIPPING TOP Filed July 12, 1937 PHIL/P ZELEZNOFF INVENTOR BY fl m W ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to whipping tops and has particular reference to toy tops which are set in rotation by a piece of string.

My invention has for its object to provide a top which has a relatively large rotational inertia so that it can maintain its rotation for a long time once it is set in motion, having at the same time a low center of gravity in order to. render the top more stable and more readily to maintain its axis in the vertical position. For this purpose I make my top in the form of a short cylinder of a, relatively large diameter, comparable to its height, with a short rounded leg on which the top rests during its rotation.

Another object of my invention is to provide a top which can be set in rotation by a piece of string wound around the middle portion of the top and quickly pulled ofi' the top while the latter is being-held in a player's fingers. To facilitate the holding of the top while it is being started on its rotation, the upper and lower ends of the top are rounded oif, the top being retained in its upper portion by the thumb of the player, the bottom being supported by two fingers, passing the leg of the top between them.

In order to provide for the greater speed of movement of the string in spinning the top, I attach one end of the string to the end of a rod whose other end is held in the players hand.

Another object of my invention is to provide means to maintain the rotation of the top after it has been started. For this purpose I make the rod with the string in the form of a whip which can be used not only for starting the top but also for continually maintaining its rotation by whipping the top from time to time.

While the top is of a substantially cylindrical form, its sides may be somewhat modified by making them slightly bulging so as to resemble a barrel, or concave, of an hour glass shape.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawing in Which- Fig. 1 is a side View of my top ready to be started and held in the players left hand, the latter being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a side view of a modification.

My top represents a barrel-shaped body I of a relatively large diameter comparable to its height. It has convex upper portion 2 and similar bottom portion 3, the latter having a rounded or sharp-pointed leg 4. The main body is substantially symmetrical in the vertical direction, the diameters at the top and bottom being equal. It

may be provided with ornamental lines or stripes 5. The top is preferably made of a moderately heavy and inexpensive substance, such as wood or a composition. For spinning the top a whip is used consisting of a string 6 attached at one end to the end of a rod or handle I. The other end of the string is placed on the middle portion of the top as shown in Fig. 1 and is held by subsequent turns as the string is being wound. The top is then held in. the left hand as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the handle being held in the right hand (or vice versa for a left handed player) The handle is then quickly moved away from the top while the latter is still held between the fingers, permitting it however to start its rotation. The top is then released and continues accelerating its rotation as the string is I completely unwound when the top is in the .air

or dropped on the floor.

When properly handled, the top makes but a few first revolutions while it is held between the fingers and is quickly pulled out of the hand. The string is usually completely unwound during the time the top is dropping from the hand to the floor, although with a very long string 6 the. last turns may be unwound after the top has settled on the floor. With a little practice the top can be spun very quickly and effectively by this method. The top, because of its relatively large diameter and massive construction, has a relatively large inertia and continues to turn for a long time after having been started. Its rotation can be accelerated, however, or maintained by periodically whipping the top with the string 6, giving the handle I a snappy swinging motion. Such an acceleration by whipping action is effective when the string touches the middle portion of the top, which must be for that purpose of a relatively large diameter, preferably approaching the cylindrical shape and having the upper and lower ends of the same diameter. The leg 4 must be relatively short to avoid hitting it by the whip.

A modification is shown in Fig. 3, the middle portion being of a reduced diameter approaching an hour glass shape, and also having circular ribs 8 on top and bottom.

The shape of my top can be further mddifieGr provided it is substantially of the same diameter 50 at the top and bottom and there is a space in the middle for winding the cord.

It is understood that my top can be used not only on the floor in living quarters, but also outdoors, in schoolyards, on the pavement, and 55 even on the ground if it is sufficiently firm and smooth.

I claim as my invention:

A whipping top comprising an approximately cylindrical main body of relatively large diameter having an arcuate convex upper surface and an arcuate convex lower surface, and a relatively thin cylindrical leg extending from the lower surface, the top being adapted to be set in rotation by a cord wound around its body portion, the lower surface around the leg forming an annular shoulfier adapted to be supported on the player's fingers with the leg extending therebetween and therethrough, the upper surface of the top being adapted to be centrally held by the players thumb, the top being adapted to be set in rotation by pulling the string, and the leg being adapted to guide the top in its initial rotation between the fingers, the top to be then dropped to the ground where the initial rotation keeps it in motion until the whip can be used to prolong the rotation indefinitely.

' PHILIP ZELEZNOFF. 

